Mechanism for removing useful fiber from seeds



A. A. VARDELL, DECD. H s VARDELL, EXECUTRIX MECHANISM FOR REMOVING USEFUL FIBER FROM szsos.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921 APPLICATION FILED Ame. 1919.

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ARTHUR A. VARDELL, OF DALLAS, TEXAS; HIGHLAND GEE VARDELL EXECUTRIX OF SAID ARTHUR A. VARDELL, DECEASED.

MECHANISM FOR REMOVING USEFUL FIBER FROIVL SEEDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 31%21.

Application filed August 9, 1919. Serial No. 316,460.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, ARTHUR A. Vannnnn, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Removing Useful Fiber from Seeds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the general class of machines adapted to remove fibers from their attachments, such as gins, cotton seed linters, wool-burring machines, and the l ke.

Machines of this type are broadly ahlrc, but for cotton the operation is customarily carried out in two stages, the gin proper being relied upon to remove the long-fibered cotton from the seed and the linter [or delinter] gin being employed to work upon the cotton seed, the product of the gin proper, to remove from it the short adherent fibers. The gin proper and the linter gin differ from each other essentially only in the ad ust ments, proportions or dimensions of the parts appropriate to their specific duties. This invention has particular reference to means for the recovery of fiber or particles, applicable to saw gins and other machines adapted for either use.

Grins proper are customarily worked 1n a battery or multiple unit of from two to six gins delivering to a common air flue, in turn deliverng to a condenser, by whch the fiber is removed from the air current and the dust and some short fiber delivered as waste to the outer air. Linter gins may also be joined in a battery, but customarily heretofore linter gins have been provided with 11l dividual condensers. This is due to the greater necessity for care in theadjustment and operation of the linter gin, it being desirable for this reason to observe constantly the product of each individual machine in order to maintain its adjustments for delivering a proper portion of the lint or for making a proper type of product in regard to freedom from motes.

The individual-condenser linter, like all saw gins, delivers a great volume of air as an incident of the operation of the dotting brush forming a part of the gin. This air, charged with fine particles of lint and dust, passes into the room, menaces the health and efficiency of the operators, and constitutes a serious fire risk. I am aware ofattempts to minimize these risks by connecting the individual condensers to a suction pipe, or by air-dotting the saws by separately generated blast or suction currents, or by other expedients not wholly successful for this purpose. Such expedients not only consume much power and sacrifice the capacity, deemed essential by ginners caring for economy of operation, to examine the product of eachindividual linter frequently, but also result in mixing the useful fiber with a great volume of air, from which it is impossible to recover all of the good fiber. The same considerations also apply to the operation of gins proper; a great gain in efficiency, freedom from gin damage and in quality of the lint cotton follows capacity for an expert foreman to examine from time to time the product being produced by the individual gin, so that prompt discovery of need for corrections and identification of the particular gin responsible may be made.

In the best practice of which I am aware in the prior art,'pneumatic dofiing or the common collection of fiber by suction applied to individual condensers has resulted in unnecessary expenditure of power, often amounting to four or more horse-power per gin. The rotating elements of the gin it self move a great volume of air and expend power for this purpose. When external pneumatic means are employed the air-moving effort of the elements of the gin is waste efiort.

So far as-l am aware, the operation of prior gins and linters also has been defective in failure to prevent removal with the seed of a proportion of the fiber actually separated by the gin saws, and in failure properly to separate from'the good lint a large portion of motes capable of such separation during the removal of the fiber from the seed, and diilicult or impossible to remove at a later stage oftreatment.

Principal objects of my invention are to provide for the complete and economical recovery of the fiber separated from the seed by the gin, to separate from the fiber a maximum percentage of motes and impuri ties, to provide capacity for determining at will the behavior of each individual gin of any number of gins joined in a battery ormultiple unit; and to utilize the driving force employed to work the gin elements to a larger extent than heretofore by employing the air-currents set up by the moving parts to perform new functions. Further objects are to provide a gin or linter adapted to operate without delivering into the workroom a stream of air containing dust and fibers from the material being ginned; to reduce the volume of air carrying the fiber, and to provide for pneumatically conveying and delivering fiber from a fiber-removing implement such as a gin saw, by means utilizing the same volume of air over and over. l urther objects are to provide in a gin or linter gin for the improved separation of motes from the product, to provide for the improved separation from the saws of a saw gin of fibers and thereby to save lint heretofore wasted, and to provide for separating from the lint and removing from each gin a large proportion of the dirt, sand, leaf-scrap and other waste.

1n some aspects the invention is not confined to gins but is applicable to openerboaters, pickers, cards and fiber-working or other machines delivering a volume of airborne flocculent or separated light sub stances ca ried by a current of air as an incident of the operation of the machine.

1 do not herein claim the genus including certain features relating to moting, to the devices for separating the fiber from the circulating air-current and to the recovery of separ ted fibers heretofore commingled with the seed and lost, these generic features being described and claimed in my applications Case 1, Serial No. 316,459, filed August 9, 1919, and Case 111, Serial No. 319,105 filed August 26, 1919.

1 have elected to illustrate the genus comprised in the invention by an example of one species for use in a linter gin, as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a linter gin according to the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a detail of a similar view showing the adjustable suction nozzle.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the machine frame may as usual comprise uprights 1, side panels 1 and wooden or metal longi tudinal struts 1", 1, etc., the end frames having thereon bearings for a saw shaft 2, a doifer brush shaft 3, and a breast pivot a in the desired relation. The pivoted breast, as usual, may carry a float roll shaft 6. Preferably the center of the shaft 3 for the doifer brush 5 having the usual longi*' tudinal lags 5 with longitudinal rows of wires or bristles thereon is placed farther forward than usual so that the contact of the saws 10 with the brush 5 occurs nearer the bottom of the saw cylinder than usual, for purposes which will presently appear.

Any usual or preferred breast 8, grate 9, and seed board 11 may be provided. The longitudinal frame member 1 may carry any preferred feeder hopper 12 and bearbrush 5 moving toward the saw is inclosed.

by a curved metal stop 20, which may be mounted on longltudinals 21 and 22 of the frame, above which and behind the saws there is a free open passage 24. 11 4-1 By reason or bile position of the gin brush.

5 that exposed portion of the surface of the saw cylinder 10 emergent from the grate 9 is a greater are of the periphery of the saw cylinder than usual. In order to separate motes (by which 1 refer to all impurities such as immature seeds, sand, sticks and seed-particles or leaf-scrap having suflicient weight to be thrown from the saw by the centrifugal action of the saw) 1 employ the primary velocity given to the motes by the motion of the saw, relying on their separation by this means rat ier than by the secondary velocity given the motes after their engagement with the brush and commingling with the lint on the brush which has heretofore constituted the best practiceof which 1 am aware. removing the brush to a part of the periphery of the saw substantially opposite to its engagement with the roll of cotton seed in the roll box between the breast 8 and grate 9, there is suf ficient room to place deflector for the motes in position to separate the particles thrown ofi tangentially to the saw from the fibrous particles and fibns engaged upon the saw and travelii with it. The mote deflector may comprise a plate 50 mounted on longitudinal strut 21 and may be adjusted by being bent as desired. A mote conveyor 55 may be employed to remove the collected motes from a channel 5% provided beneath the deflector 50. The structure 50, 21, effectively separates the motes from the gin brush 5, constitutes an air seal against air nowing out of the casing 1 20.

Spaced from the lower part of the periphery of the brush and extending from side to side of the gin, a curved wall 16, 16, which may be a metal plate or plates suitably mounted on longitudinalsl l terminates'in front of t e brush 5 and preferably above its axis ith respect to the plates 16 the brush 5 constitutes a powerful fan, delivering a current of air entering the space between the lip 17 and the brush with high velocity into tangential passage 18 beginning behind the longitudinal 22 and extend- While such a chamber is eflective for some of the purposes of this invention if of any substantial size or any desired shape, I prefer the construction shown in which a cylindrical dome 30 mounted on longitudinal struts 31 continues the passage 18 on an are about the longitudinal center of chamber 32, which is hereinafter referred to as a separation chamber of the cyclone type. It is the purpose of this structure economically and rapidly to separate the contained fiber from the air current containing the fiber set up by the rotation of the doffer brush 5, and, if desired, to partially clean the fiber of dust, sand and other fine impurities, by beating or rubbing against a screen having behind it a dead-air space. These effects are accomplished without delivering into the room occupied by the machine any substantial portion of the air employed to receive the fiber from the doffing brush and to convey the fiber to the separation chamber. To this end the chamber 32 includes the entrance preferably curved as shown, of a return passage 33, which may be completed by walls 34: preferably of curved metal, hung on the struts 1 and 1 and extending concentrically under the doffer brush to deliver the air over the lip 17 The returned air is deflected downwardly by a curved baffle 35 and by an adjustable plate 36 preferably held in a position substantially tangent to the brush 5 by slotted guide lugs 37 and headed bolts 38 in side panels 1 for slight vertical adjustment in its own plane. The returned air from chamber 32 is thus all delivered to the brush 5 and delivery passage 18.

The separation chamber 32 may contain walls 39 and 40 hung on a longitudinal 1 to define the inner walls of the air passages 18 and 33, and to exclude from the interior of the chamber 32 such space as is not desired to be occupied by the whirl, eddy, or cyclone set up in the chamber 32 by the moving air current.

(due bottom wall of the chamber 32 may be comprised of an inclined board 4:1. The outer lower wall of the chamber 32 is made as a woven or other perforate screen 4-3, behind which is a dead-air space and dirt pocket 1 defined by an outer wall 45 and delivering at the bottom into a dirt conveyer 16.

Within the chamber 32 and inclined to the whirling air currents therein, a series of preferably curved metallic baffles 17 is erected. The action of thewhirling air current and these baffles is respectively to separate from the air current the contained fiber and to rub the contained fiber against the screen 43, and thereby effectively to remove a greater part of the contained dust, sand and fine impurities.

The good and clean lint collecting in the chamber 32 falls to the bottom of the chamber and against a rotating valve 7 5 having flexible ribs 76 working in'a fitting concave 77 and nearly but not quite touching the inclined bottom 78 of the chamber 32. The valve 7 5 delivers into a conduit 80 which in turn delivers into a blast conduit 81. Preferably the opening of the conduit 80 into the conduit 81 is protected by an air baffle plate 82.

To enable the frequent inspection of the individual product of any gin of a battery or series, an inwardly opening gate 85 hinged at 86 above the conduit 81 and having a latch 87 permitting it to be turned into the dotted line position is provided, in order to permit the entire delivery of the gin to take place outside of the conduit 81 for inspection of the quality of the product.

At the front of the gin immediately beneath the seed board 11 and near the peripheries of the saws between the place where they are dofled by the action of the brush 5 and the place at which the saw teeth reenter the grate 9, a suction nozzle 61 communicating with a suction pump, not shown, [which may be the intake of the fan blowing the blast in conveyer 81], is arranged. Preferably the nozzle 61 comprises the adjustable plate 36 by which its eflective opening can be controlled, this opening extending the full width of the saws. In all saw gins a substantial proportion of the fibers, usually short fibers, is engaged with the side of the saws well within their peripheries, or is carried in the dead air rotating with the saws and between the same, and this proportion of the fiber is not reached and can not be removed by the bristles of the brush 5. The supposed action of the air-current from the brush to doff this spaceis not in fact effective. But as the rotating peripheries of the saws approach the grate an ejection current of the dead air between the saws flows out from between them and this causes a material proportion of the fiber either to be delivered through the grate bars to the roll-box, or out through the seed delivery opening, or beneath the seed board 11, in all prior gins of which I am aware. By providing a strong outflowing current of air from within the saw peripheries into the suction duct 61, lint not dofled by the brush 5 is taken from this dead air space between the saws. This may be recovered from the air moving in the duct 61 by delivering it into the conveyer 81 through the blast fan, as mentioned above.

The inflow of air to the suction duct 61 passes between the upper surface of the duct and the seed board 11, and hence traverses the current of stripped seed flowing out of the gin, taking with it any fiber which has not been delivered by the saw, or has been returned tothe roll-box by the saw.

I claim:

1. Mechanism for separating useful fibers from seeds, bolls or other aggregates of fibers having therein means for throwing the fiber into an air-current flowing in a closed circuit, and static separator means causing the fiber-laden air-current to form a whirl or cyclone, and thereby drop a part o1 its cargo, the air current thereafter receiving more fiber from said means for throwing fiber into the current before another passage into the separator means.

2. The combination of means for separating useful fibers from seeds, bolls or other aggregates of fiber with means for throwing the fiber into an air-current, and with means for causing centrifugal or cyclonic motion of and separation thereby of a part of the fiber from the laden air-current.

3. Mechanism for separating useful fibers from seeds, bolls or other aggregates of fiber having therein means for throwing the fiber into an air-current and means causing a cyclonic whirl of said air-current, with means for gathering and delivering the useful fiber delivered from the current by said means.

4E. Mechanism for separating useful fibers from seeds or aggregates of fiber having therein means for throwing the separated fibers into an air-current, means "for causing cyclonic motion or" the air-current in a closed passage, whereby to drop a part of the airborne fiber, means for returning the aircurrent to receive a further charge of fiber, and means for delivering the dropped fiber from the machine.

5. Mechanism for separating useful fibers from seeds or aggregates of fiber having therein means for throwing the separated fibers into an air-current, means for causing cyclonic motion of the air-current in a closed passage, whereby to drop a part of the airborne fiber, means to receive dust and impurities thereby thrown from the fiber, and means for returning the air-current to re ceive a further charge of fiber, and means for delivering the dropped fiber from the machine.

6. Mechanism for separating useful fibers from seeds having therein means for detaining the seeds and means for Stripping the fibers from the seeds, and means dofiing the fiber from the fiber stripping means, in combination with a casing comprising a continuous uninterrupted circulatory passage having therein the doffing means and a cyclone-type separator for removing the fiber from an air-current circulating therein, the stripped air returning to the dofier to again serve to convey fiber.

7. A mechanism for separating useful fibers from seeds having therein means for detaining the seeds and means for stripping the fibers from the seeds, moting means and rotary means for dofiin the fiber from the fiber stripping means, in combination with a casing comprising an uninterrupted circulatory passage in which a current of air is adapted to be created by said doffing means, said circulatory passage including a chamber provided with air impinging surfaces constructed and arranged to form an eddy in the circulating air, whereby to cause the deposit of fiber delivered into said air current by said dofier.

8.1% gin or linter comprising a saw cylinder and a dofi'er and a casing inclosing the dofi'er and providing a continuous, uninterrupted delivery and return air passage substantially closed to the outer air in which the dofler constantly circulates the included air, said casing having therein a chamber provided with curved air directing elements constructed and arranged to impart a whirling motion to the air current, whereby to secure the centrifugal separation of the fiber from the air moving in said closed passage 9. A. gin or liuter comprising a saw cylinder and a dofi er and a casing inclosing the dofi er and providing a continuous, unin errupted delivery and return air passage sub stantially closed to the outer air in which the dofi'er constantly circulates the included air, said casing having therein a chamber having elements constructed and arranged to change the direction of flow of the air current p: ssing therethrough, whereby to create an eddy therein, such eddy serving to cause the centrifugal eparation of the fiber from the air moving in said closed passage, and means to deliver the fiber so collected from the machine.

10. A gin or linter comprising a saw cylinder, a dofier and casing inclosing the dofier and providing a continuous, uninterrupted delivery passage and a return air passage substantially closed to the outer air in which the dofier constantly circulates the included air, said casing having a cavity forming a portion of said continuous passage, means for causing the air current in traversing said passage to move in path whose direction is continuously changed whereby to permit the separation of fiber from the air current by centrifugal and gravity action, said c amber having associated therewith. a dead air space and a screen for collecting impurities from the fib r as it is separated from the air current.

11. A or linter comprising a saw cylinder and dofii'er and a casing inclosing the dofier ant providing a continuous uninterrupted delivery and return passage closed to theouter air, in which the dofier constantly circulates the included air, said casing having therein a separator chamber constituting an enlargement of said continuous passage, said chamber being constructed and arranged to cause the air flowing therethrough to move in a path of constantly changing curvature, whereby to permit the centrifugal and gravity separation oi the fiber from the air moving in said passage, means for delivering the collected fiber from the closed chamber into a conveyer, and means for inspecting the delivered fiber between said chamber and said conveyer.

l2. Mechanism for separating useful fibers from seeds having therein fiber removing means, rotary dofiing means work'- ing in a closed air passage and a cyclone separator comprising a chamber forming a part 01" said passage in which'air current eddies in contact with a series of bafile plates inclined to the direction of rotation of the air current.

13. Mechanism for separating useful fibers from seeds having therein fiber removing means, rotary dofiing means working in a closed air passage and a condenser comprising a chamber in which the air current set up thereby eddies in contact with a series of bafile plates inclined to the direction of rotation of the air current, and having a screen against which the air current is deflected by said bafile plates, and a dead air space behind the screen.

i l. Mechanism for removing useful fibers from seeds having therein fiber removing means, rotary doifing means working in a closed air passage, and a separator comprising a chamber in which an air current eddies in contact with a series of bafile plates inclined to the direction of rotation of the air current, and having a screen against which the air current is deflected by said baflie plates, and a dead air space behind the screen, means for delivering the collected fiber from the chamber and means for delivering collected impurities from the dead air space.

15. In a ginning mechanism having a closed air-circuit for the delivery of fiber from rotary dofiin means forming a part thereof, a suction nozzle for recovering waste fiber by an air-current independent of the current in said circuit, in combination with adjustable means for regulating flow in said nozzle forming a part of the walls or said air-circuit.

Signed by me at Dallas, Texas, this 12th day of July, 1919.

ARTHUR A. VARDELL. 

